Voters in Brisbane bowed to the inevitable on Tuesday as they gave a stamp of approval to a scaled-back plan to develop the 660-acred site of a former rail yard and landfill on the east side of their quiet village.

The handwriting, so to speak, was on the wall. In the end, the citizens of Brisbane probably didn’t have much choice.

The area known as the Baylands is a prime location for housing and commercial development. Powerful forces (state lawmakers, labor unions, etc.) outside Brisbane had made it clear that, if the town turned down the plan, wheels would soon be in motion to overturn a rejection.

Brisbane, a small community nestled on the northeast side of San Bruno Mountain near the San Francisco border, was caught in a David vs. Goliath situation.

The overriding argument in favor of Measure JJ was that it was better to have at least some control over the future of the site than barely any at all.

By agreeing to prior amendments to the burg’s general plan in that area, the voters took a realistic, though perhaps reluctant, path. The risk of throwing up significant roadblocks _ and losing in the end _ was apparently too much for them.

Over time, when the Baylands property is finally built out, the plans indicate that up to 2,200 dwelling units could be constructed; additionally, as much as 7 million square feet of commercial development could be built.

For all practical purposes, the Baylands will represent a new community that may well be much larger than today’s modest Brisbane, with its 4,700 residents.

As of Wednesday morning, the San Mateo County Elections Office had Measure JJ winning, 452-376.

Another defeat

In the San Mateo-Foster City School District, the question is: Now what?

For the second time, a proposed parcel tax appears to have failed at the polls, albeit in a relatively close call.

By Wednesday morning, results for Measure V were not promising, with only 64.7 percent of voters agreeing to the $298 per parcel tax. A two-thirds vote was required for passage. Some votes remain to be tallied.

A prior parcel tax expired last year and an attempt to extend it failed. Measure V was the second time the district’s authorities had tried to reimpose a levy.

If approved, Measure V would provide the district with an estimated $7 million in its first year of implementation; the district is currently facing a $5 million revenue shortfall, mainly because of a reliance on the previous tax.

Complicating the situation are labor negotiations. The district’s teachers, in particular, had pinned hopes of raises on fresh money generated by Measure V.

Millie Swann

How important was the late Millie Swann in the San Mateo-Foster City community? Her funeral services late last month at the Pilgrim Baptist Church in San Mateo drew a standing-room-only gathering of at least 500 mourners.

Two of the speakers, Tom Mohr and Sam Johnson, are former superintendents of the San Mateo Union High School District. The current superintendent, Kevin Skelly, was an attendee, as were San Mateo’s Police Chief, Susan Manheimer and a number of local politicians and community leaders.

Mrs. Swann spent decades working for the district in a variety of capacities. Her contributions and influence, especially among young African-American students, were profound and far-reaching.

She passed away in October at the age of 86.

John Horgan’s column appears weekly in the Mercury News. You can contact him by email at johnhorganmedia@gmail.com and by regular mail at P.O. Box 117083, Burlingame, CA 94011.

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